The Fifth Cycle
by undeadstoryteller
Summary: They had been through the cycle four times. Sometimes he could make her life last a bit longer, but somehow, she always died, and he always went back, hoping this time he could get it right. The fourth cycle was not that time. If there was to be a fifth cycle, it was up to Alisha.
1. Chapter 1

Every cycle is different. No matter how hard you try to ensure that everything stays the same, once the time traveler has passed on, his past self is on his own, with no way of knowing whether the path he's taking mirrors that of his perished future self.

They had been through the cycle four times, Simon and Alycia had, though they didn't know it. Every cycle was brand new, but similar. He would die as planned, always in the same way. She would die, despite his efforts to prevent it. Sometimes he could make her life last a bit longer, but somehow, she always died, and he always went back, hoping this time he could get it right.

The fourth cycle was not that time.

The fourth cycle, in fact, went horribly wrong.

* * *

 _"This can't happen, Simon! It can't happen. I can't watch you die you twice. I can't lose you forever…"_

* * *

She ticked off the date on the calendar. It had been six weeks since he died. Four and a half since she found his gym bag hidden in the closet, still packed with his black costume and mask, a well-worn notebook, and an unsettling amount of cash.

When she found it, she was furious. Furious that he'd lied to her about destroying it. Even more furious that he'd ever come up with this time-traveling hero who made it so she'd lost him twice. The sight of the mask made it almost too much to bear.

Now she peeled the black costume off of her own body slowly. She was bruised and bleeding from the scrapes and cuts she'd picked up out there.

Every time she fell, she told herself the same thing: _"He did this for you. You can do this. For him."_

She didn't look forward to telling the gang. She'd overheard Kelly telling Jess and Rudy at the bar that she was starting to get better. That she was getting her life back after the loss of Simon.

Well, it wasn't completely untrue.

Curtis said he knew how she felt. Maybe he did. She had wanted nothing more than for him to be happy with Nikki. She made a mental note to make sure to save Nikki when she went back. She didn't just want things to be the same. She wanted them to be better.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Alisha?" Jess asked. "I mean, are you really, really sure?"

"I'm really, really sure." Alisha took a sip of her beer. The bar seemed quieter than usual tonight. She imagined Simon sitting on one of the stools by the tap, where he used to sit. She smiled. It wouldn't be long now.

"So, what are you gonna do when you get there? How does it even work?"

"Well, I can't let him know it's me at first," Alisha said. "Simon keeps notes on everything. I'll have to save this girl called Rachel's life -"

"Oh, just like that?"

"And then I'm gonna see if I can find the one who killed him."

Jess nodded slowly. "And?"

Alisha shrugged, gazing down at the glass before her. "Kill 'em."

Jess paused. It probably wasn't a good time to make a Terminator joke. "You know, you don't have to do this. I know you don't want to hear this, but you've still got a life ahead of you. People do move on. You don't have to rewind time -"

"Wouldn't you?"

Jess blinked and stared at Alisha, whose gaze hadn't moved from her glass.

"If you could rewind time for the person you love more than anything, wouldn't you? We're not just 'people,' Jess, we have the ability to change things."

Jess tried not to glance over at Rudy at the bar, intensely telling Seth a story she couldn't hear.

"I don't know," Jess said. "Maybe I've just never been in love."

"Trust me," Alisha said, looking at her. "You would."

Jess sighed. This time, she allowed her gaze to fall on Rudy. She could feel Alisha's eyes following hers.

"You would."

Jess nodded with resignation. She hated the thought of losing her friend, but deep down, she knew that if she had what Alisha had with Simon, she wouldn't hesitate. "Well," she said, "you have my number if you need anything."

"You won't know me yet, Jess."

Jess finished off her beer. "Well, it will still be after the storm hit. A stranger coming up to me and saying they were my friend from the future won't be the weirdest thing that's happened."

Alisha smiled. "I think I need to leave your timeline alone."

Jess made a face of disappointment.

"But if all goes right, we'll meet again."

* * *

The first page of Simon's notepad says:

 ** _DON'T LOOK BACK_**

She wonders if he did, and saw their faces as he flew back through time. She'd imagined some kind of vortex, spinning through space. Too much Doctor Who, probably, because it was nothing like that. She took one last look at her friends, Jess, Curtis, Rudy, Kelly and Seth and turned, willing herself not to look back.

When she opened her eyes, it seemed as though she hadn't moved an inch. The weather was cooler, the boats lined the water differently. The crane was gone.

She looked down.

She caught her breath as she saw him, her Simon, standing with his back to her as if he was in his own world, while the rest of the old gang crowded a bench together, all eyes on Present Alisha as she acted out her crude gearshift dance. Nathan laughed out a puff of smoke beside her as Curtis stood from a seated position behind the bench, his laughter catching the breeze.

She'd forgotten how much she'd missed Nathan, though she wasn't sure she ever knew she did. She'd forgotten how much she missed Curtis's laugh since Nikki had been killed.

Simon turned his head toward the water, giving her the briefest glance of his profile. Her heart leapt. He was really there, alive and completely oblivious to what was coming.

She sank down to sit on the roof out of view and pulled out Simon's notebook. She'd read it a thousand times, and had only been able to make sense of some of it. The first few pages spoke urgently about the girl called Rachel. She remembered her - how do you forget someone who brainwashes you before falling off a roof along with one of your best mates? But she didn't understand Simon's notes:

 ** _SAVE RACHEL_**

She flipped the page. Underneath a date and time, he'd written:

 ** _Make sure Rachel is SAFE and UNHARMED_**

 ** _do not KILL her UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE_**

 ** _Take her to SETH to take her power_**

 ** _Tell her to take the money and LEAVE HERE_**

 ** _SHE must NOT DIE_**

She stared at the words. Why was it so important to save Rachel?

Whatever the reason, she trusted him, and she'd have to be ready soon.

* * *

Rachel was a fighter.

The plan was for Alisha to intercept her before Nathan and Simon took her up to the roof, thereby preventing her fatal fall. And that's what happened, but it wasn't as easy as she'd hoped it would be. When Alisha, clad in the mask, of course, appeared before her, Rachel panicked and ran, attracting the attention of Nathan and Simon and the brainwashed youth in the yard.

Nathan and Simon ran toward them as Alisha managed to grab Rachel and pull her away from the community center.

"Give me your keys," Alisha ordered, still running, still dragging Rachel behind her.

"No!"

Alisha spun Rachel around pushed her back into the blue Nissan she'd seen her driving.

Rachel stared. " _You don't need to behave like this_ -"

"Oh, shut up! I'm trying to save your life, you bitch!"

Rachel blinked.

Nathan was quickly catching up to them. " _What the hell are you doing? I thought you were on my side!_ "

Alisha pointed. "They're going to kill you!"

Stunned, Rachel handed her the keys. They jumped in just as the boys reached the car. As she pulled away, Alisha looked back at Simon, doubled over in exhaustion and frustration.

 _This was your idea._

Rachel turned to her. "What do you mean they're going to kill me? _Kill_ me?"

"They wouldn't have if you'd just let us go."

"What?"

"Just let them go!"

Rachel shook her head. "I… I can't. I don't know how." She looked at Alisha, still masked. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No."

Rachel turned to look out the back window as they sped toward Seth's brokerage. " _Freaks._ "

Alisha reached over and grabbed her hard by the collar, eyes still on the road.

"Stop talking."

* * *

Alisha pushed Rachel into the chair in front of Seth's desk. She was still fully masked.

"She's looking to sell."

Seth eyed Rachel and then looked up at Alisha curiously.

"What's the power?"

"Mind control."

"Jesus."

"How much will you pay her?"

Seth considered. "Ten."

Alisha huffed. "Ten? For mind control?"

"Well, it's not much good to me, is it? What am I gonna do, resell _mind control_ to some rando off the street?"

"Fifteen," Alisha countered.

"Twelve hundred, and that's my final offer."

Rachel's eyes darted from the masked woman to the mysterious broker. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Stop talking," Alisha said. She nodded at Seth. "Twelve hundred." She crossed her arms. "Do your thing."

Seth looked at Rachel. "It has to be voluntary."

"She will voluntarily sell you her power or I will voluntarily throw her off the roof myself." Behind the mask, she smiled. There was something about that costume.

Rachel sighed and gave Seth her hands.

The process was surprisingly quick. She's done it herself, of course, multiple times, but when it's you it feels longer. She glanced at Seth and had remind herself not to call him by name. In the future, they were friends, but now they were mere strangers.

He counted out the money and set it before Rachel, who looked drained.

"Take the money and leave," Alisha said.

Rachel looked up at her in surprise. "You're going to let me have the money?"

"Go far away, and don't come back." Alisha placed the car keys on the money.

"But -" Rachel paused and scooped up the stack of money and the keys. She stood and nodded, looking defeated. "OK," she said. "OK."

Alisha watched as she slunk out the door to her car.

 _Good riddance_.

"A regular choirgirl, that one," Seth said, leaning back in his chair. "She doesn't look like she could hurt a fly."

"She's more dangerous than she looks."

"Well," Seth said. "Good job keeping the streets safe from the likes of her." He was joking, but he didn't smile.

She paused, and pulled off the mask. He looked up at her with no recognition.

"My name's Alisha. We've met."

He furrowed his brow. "I don't remember meeting you."

She shook her head. "You wouldn't. You sold me the power to go back in time."

He raised his eyebrows. "Did I?"

"In the future. You were friends with my boyfriend, too. Before he died."

Seth winced, as if the words pierced through his chest.

"I'm sorry."

Alisha smiled, holding back her tears. "Well, he's alive now, so…"

Seth nodded. Alisha could almost feel his pain radiating from his body, a familiar searing feeling she hadn't allowed for herself since she'd decided to come back to this time.

"I know the pain," he said.

"I know you do."

Alisha hesitated to say more, but she was here, and she knew the future.

"I know I'm the last person who should be telling you this," she said. "I know that you would do anything to bring her back. Anything at all. But that power you have locked away, the one that brings people back to life? It won't bring her back to you. Not the way she was."

Seth shifted in his seat, disturbed at her knowledge of the power.

"What happens?" he asked.

"Bad things, Seth. Just more pain."

He nodded slowly. "OK."

Alisha exhaled and stepped back toward the door.

"Oh, and I hope you don't mind if I send you a referral," she said.

"Not at all," he said. "Who is it?"

She smiled and opened the door.

"Me."


	2. Chapter 2

Alisha took a pull from her cigarette and straightened her hair in the reflection of the glass doors of the community center. It had been a strange few days. A mysterious guy in a mask had started showing up at uncanny times. Nathan claimed the guy saved him not long before kidnapping Rachel. Not long after, the mind control that had taken over her, Curtis and Kelly had spontaneously lifted.

Then yesterday the guy showed up again and led them to the flat of a pretty girl.

Alisha re-applied her lipstick, recalling the pretty girl's eyes gaze up at Curtis.

"Bitch," she said under her breath.

She turned to see Curtis walking toward the center, his step hitching slightly at the sight of her.

"Where were you last night?" she asked as he stopped in front of her.

He shrugged. "Nowhere."

"Your phone was off."

"So, I ran out of battery." He looked casual about it. Not defensive or guilty. Still, she knew when she was being lied to.

"Did you go back there later?" she asked, as he opened the door.

"Alisha," he said in exasperation. "We'll talk about it later."

She threw her cigarette to the ground and crushed it under her shoe. "What's there to talk about?" She followed him in. "Curtis?"

* * *

"You know," Nathan said, "if they were smart, they'd have us do productive things, like… film reviews. I always thought I'd be great at that."

Simon looked at him. "So like give us any job we want."

"Exactly!" Nathan turned to Kelly. "What better way to help us re-join society?"

As Nathan, Kelly, and Curtis headed out for their day of picking up litter, their voices faded behind the heavy doors.

Simon turned to follow, then paused. The sound of a sniffle quietly filled the empty room.

He took a few steps and peered into the space behind the lockers. Alicia sat there on a bench, wiping her eyes.

Simon wasn't entirely sure whether he was visible or not.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

Alisha started and looked up at him. He wasn't invisible, apparently.

"Go away, Simon," she said, looking down.

He stood where he was, unsure what to say, but feeling like she needed comfort more than solitude. Still, he could feel himself mumble "OK" and turn away.

She sniffled again. "Did you see the way he looked at her?"

He stopped and turned. "Who?"

"Curtis," she said. "Who else would I be talking about?"

"Oh." He considered. "Yes."

She blinked as if she hadn't expected that answer.

She laughed sadly. "That's how it goes. There's always a more beautiful girl -"

"She's not more beautiful than you."

Alisha looked up at him. His expression was serious.

"At least he can fuck her. What's the point of even being with me?"

"Because you're…" Simon paused. "You're more than just sex. You're so much more than that. And if he doesn't see it…"

He stopped. Alisha was staring at him with wide, shimmering eyes.

"He should... He should see that." Simon swallowed hard. "Anyway. We're late."

She nodded as he turned and left.

She sat for a moment, trying to decipher what she was feeling. Her heart was racing, and she felt a bit flush.

 _You're so much more than that._

She smiled.

* * *

"Have you seen him again? The guy in the mask?" Alisha deposited a wadded up piece of litter into her bag.

Simon looked a bit startled by the question, not least of all because she'd seemed to have moved closer to him, away from the others, to ask him.

"Once." He swallowed and looked at her. After a pause, he added, "I think it's a woman."

Alisha gave him a look. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugged. "I followed her to the roof. She definitely has -" he hesitated.

"What? Tits?" She shook her head. "What, were you using your invisibility to follow him?" She snapped up another piece of litter. "You better not do that to me."

"I don't." It was true. He'd never followed her to the roof.

"Such a creepy power."

Simon sighed and looked over at the others, all goofing around, oblivious of them. Alisha was usually always with the others, as oblivious of him as they were. Yet she was still there, casually hovering in his vicinity, thinking he was creepy, yes, but apparently somewhat interested in his thoughts on the person in the mask.

"Have you thought that maybe the person in the mask is that girl Nikki at the flat?" Simon asked.

Alisha looked at him, a flash of hurt in her eyes. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"The person in the mask led us there, and then Nikki shows up." Simon paused. "I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Why would she do that?"

Simon shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she had a crush on Curtis and wanted to impress him."

Alisha rolled her eyes. "It doesn't take that much to impress Curtis," she said. "Trust me."

"Maybe…" he paused. "Maybe she's some kind of spy, trying to infiltrate us."

"A spy?"

He nodded.

"Simon, do you hear yourself?"

He waited for her to walk away with a laugh, but she didn't. He wasn't quite sure what to do with that.

"Maybe we should tell Curtis."

Alisha paused. "Tell him the girl he's probably cheating on me with is a spy."

"Tell him she might be the person in the mask."

Alisha shook her head and looked over at Curtis. "A few days ago we all thought he was a hero. Now you're talking like he - she - is out to get us."

"We have to be vigilant."

Alisha crossed her arms and looked at him. "I think you need more evidence than a pair of tits to prove that the guy in the mask is a super spy trying to take down 5 probationers on community service."

This time, he didn't have to wait for her to walk away. Still, he couldn't help but smile. At least she wasn't laughing.


End file.
